Wake-up call for 'Dream Team'

The US' men's basketball team dazzled a big crowd in Germany with spectacular dunks and gravity-defying drives to the basket during pre-game warm-up drills against Italy.

But by the end of Tuesday's exhibition match, Italy's stunning 95-78 win had shattered any aura of US invincibility and raised the prospect of a wide open Olympic tournament for the first time in decades.

The worst defeat since NBA players joined the U.S. team in 1992 exposed a lack of cohesion against rapidly improving international teams that practice and compete together for years.

"I think anybody in our country who watches the game around the world realised it (standards) has greatly improved," said U.S. coach Larry Brown, dismissing any suggestion he and his team failed to take Italy or international teams seriously enough.

"They play the right way," he said of the Italian side after the match in Cologne, a stopover before Athens. "They played as a team at both ends of the court. We have a lot of lessons to learn."

The Americans, on the other hand, looked lost and without ideas at times. They shot a poor 55 percent from the free throw line (16 for 29) versus Italy's 81 percent. The US hit only four of 13 three-point shots compared to 15 for 35 for Italy.

Unimaginative offense

They also seemed uncomfortable with the slightly different international rules.

Their traveling violations, errant passes, and unimaginative offense stood in contrast to the fluent, altruistic game of the older and more experienced Italians.